The UCLA Black Male Institute has established a partnership with the UCLA Division of Student Affairs in an effort to grow and further develop their academic enrichment course series for Black undergraduate women at UCLA. Each year, more than 60 Black female undergraduates complete “Sister-to-Sister” (S2S), a course dedicated to improving campus climate and supporting the retention and graduation of Black women from UCLA.

In sisterhood with S2S, “Hermanax a Hermanax,” a course for Latina undergraduates will launch in spring 2017, using a unique academic framework to support the retention, graduation, and overall experiences of Latinas while at UCLA.

BMI hired a Graduate Student Researcher to explore funding opportunities to expand research projects centered on women and girls of color. They are in the process of securing funding for the following research studies:

Given the limited amount work that focuses on Girls of Color and their educational experiences, particularly in relationship to school discipline practices, this two-year study seeks to explore the ways in which Black and Latina girls perceive school discipline in Los Angeles County schools.

The majority of studies on campus sexual assault use samples of predominately non-Hispanic white, heterosexual women attending four-year colleges. So our knowledge about how many students are assaulted on campus reflects this particular population. Yet overwhelmingly, women and girls of color experience sexual assault. Thus through this study, it is our goal to better understand the ways in which Black and Latina women experience sexual violence and assault, and the supports needed to heal through this experience.

“The UCLA Black Male Institute joined the Collaborative to acknowledge the lack of research and resources focused on women and girls of color. We are declaring BMI’s commitment to advancing and supporting research that seeks to improve the lives of women and girls of color.”